Fish and Wildlife Service April 15, 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, from Green Diamond Resource Company (GDRCo) for a proposed low-effect amendment to their Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and Implementation Agreement (IA). If approved, the GDRCo incidental take permit (ITP), as well as the HCP and IA, would be amended to increase the amount of lands covered under the ITP and HCP; some of the HCP management prescriptions would change, including those associated with marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) habitat protection; and the IA would be amended to include a new clause and a new marbled murrelet habitat map. The amendment would change the management of GDRCo's added lands from prescriptions currently required under the standard Washington State Forest Practices Rules (FP Rules) and Forest Practices HCP (FP HCP) to those of the GDRCo HCP. We invite public comment on the proposed amendment of the ITP, HCP, IA, and associated documents.